5 killed in landslides in Odisha amid Cyclone Arnab aftermath; 10 missing: Officials

Five people died in landslide-related incidents at separate places in Odisha following torrential rain triggered in the aftermath of Cyclone Arnab, while ten others remain missing in Ganjam district, officials said on Sunday.

The state government has begun the process of evacuation of people from landslide-prone areas of Gajapati ahead of Cyclone Murasu’s expected landfall on Wednesday.

At least ten people remain missing after a landslide swept away a hamlet on the Ganjam-Kandhamal border on October 28. The landslide struck Gidipabali, a remote hilltop settlement in Ganjam district, following heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone Arnab.

The fire services personnel recovered two bodies under the debris in Gidipabali on Sunday.

Also Read: Cyclone Arnab tracker: Landfall likely close to Yanam; storm’s expected wind speed revised by IMD

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Rajesh Prabhakar Patil said 13 of the 25 people in Gidipabali managed to reach safety as rainfall intensified on Wednesday night, triggering the landslide. The incident came to light only after ten survivors reached officials in neighbouring Kandhamal district on Friday evening and reported the landslide. Boulders and debris strewn across the area have made the search operation difficult.

Three family members killed

In Kandhamal district, three members of a family, including a nine-month-old infant, were killed after a massive landslide on Friday. The bodies of Achyut Pradhan (30), his wife Manasi Pradhan (27) and their nine-month-old infant son were recovered from beneath debris and slush on Friday evening.

Rescue operations intensified

With landslides turning out to be a big concern, the state government on Sunday intensified preparedness measures in Gajapati district, where around 150 landslide-prone locations have been identified.

“Evacuation work has already started today. Instructions have been issued to complete the process in all identified vulnerable locations by tomorrow afternoon,” he said, adding that saturated soil following days of rain had heightened the risk of landslides.

Also Read: Another cyclonic storm brewing over Bay of Bengal, likely to hit Andhra Pradesh by November 3

Regional director of IMD Bhubaneswar, Dr Manorama Mohanty said though severe cyclonic storm Murasu would make landfall at Andhra coast on Wednesday between Nellore and Naraspur, it would trigger massive rainfall in southern Odisha districts of Ganjam and Gajapati from Tuesday.

“Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places in Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri districts on Tuesday as well as Wednesday. Heavy rainfall is also likely at one or two places in Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Khordha and Puri districts,” she said.

A total of 1,18,730 people have been affected by the disaster, with Ganjam and Kandhamala being the worst affected districts.